Spring-extension support



No. 752,212. PATENTED FEB. 16, 1904. B. A. ESTEP. SPRINGEXTENSIUNSUPPORT.

APPLIGATION FIL'ED APR. 2, 1900.

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UNITED STATES Patented February 16, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

BLAIR A. ESTEP, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO SEARCH LIGHTMANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

SPRING-EXTENSION SUPPORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 752,212, dated February16, 1904.

Application filed April 2, 1900. Serial No. 11,039. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BLAIR A. ESTEP, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSpring-Extension Supports, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to spring-extension supports for lamps, bird-cages,and the. like by which they may be placed at any desired height andsecured in that position.

The special object thereof is to provide an adjustable means forsupending lamps in which a gauze mantle is used and which by be r 5 ingheated to incandescence produces the light.

These mantles are of very delicate and fragile construction, and the jaroccasioned by the use of ratchets or other positive means of controllingthe suspension device is very der 5 relation to each other, all of whichare more particularly hereinafter set out, and which are illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a side view of myinven- Fig. 2 is a top view of the same, the spring casing being inhorizontal section. Fig. 3 is an end view of the spring-case andframing, and Fig. 4 is a side view of the same.

Referring further to the drawings, in which 5 like letters of referencedenote like parts throughout, Figs. 3 and t show, respectively, end andside views of the main framing of my device. This consists of a base A,the crossarms A, the vertical posts A the spring-case .0 a, and theball-race a. The said framing may be made in several parts securedtogether; but I prefer to construct'it in an integrally-formed castingof appropriate material, such as brass or malleable iron. Sheaves B andB are mount- 5 ed and securely fastened on the shaft C, which isjournaled in' the notches c of the uprights A. The said uprights areformed or attached to the base or joist A and perpendicular thereto. Theshaft O passes centrally through the It is therefore necessaryspring-casing as. A coiled spring D is inclosed within the casing, andone end thereof is secured thereto by the rivet CZ or other suitablemeans, and the other or internal end of the spring is secured to theshaft O, as shown at d. Tapes (preferably of metal) E and E are attachedat one end to the sheaves B and B and are passed over pulleys e and 6,provided therefor in the ends of the cross-arms A, the free ends of thesaid ribbons being then attached to the extremities of the yoke F. Inorder that thesuspensiontapes may be kept parallel and maydraw'uniformly upon the yoke F, the pulleys e and e are extended on thearms A to a distance equal to the spread of the yoke, and that the tapesmay not bind inthe sheaves by being fed into or off the same at an anglethereto the said arms are ofiset from the center of the structure, sothat the pulleys when properly mounted thereon are in alinement with thesaid sheaves. The tapes E and E are wound upon the supporting-sheaves inthe opposite direction to the convolutionsof the spring D when thelatter is unwound. Drawing the tapes off from the sheaves coils thespring, which then tends to wind up the tapes. The sheave B on the sideof the apparatus next the controlling-brake should be set very close tothe spring-case D, which thus becomes a support therefor against theaction of the brake.

To control the action of the device and to hold the tape-carryingsheaves in any desired. position, I provide a brake which comprises acase a and a spherical pawl G, carried therein. The box or casing, whichis mounted on the support or girder A, has a bottom which slopes fromthe point designated as 9 toward the opposite side and opposite end, atwhich latter point the width thereof is decreased. The tendency of thisconstruction when the ball G is placed therein is to impel the same totake the normal position shown in the drawings.

The strength of the spring in the device shown should be greater than.the weight which isto be attached to the yoke and supported thereby. Inthe absence of the ball G or a similar device for controlling the rotaryaction of the sheaves the same would be rotated by the action of thespring D, so as to keep the yoke in its highest position. By a downwardmotion of the yoke the sheaves are rotated to wind the spring and tofree the ball Gr. The latter is carried by friction upon the side of thesheave B to the broader and rear end of the ball-race a. This ball-racebeing higher at the inner portion of the rear end tends to keep thespherical pawl out of contact with the sheave, and a slight inclinationof the apparatus in the direction of the front of the ball-race willkeep the said pawl at the rear end thereof, In this position the sheavesare permitted to revolve, so as to allow the yoke to be lowered orraised, as desired. The yoke being moved in the other direction,however, or toward the rear of the ball-race the ball Gr is permitted toroll into the narrow space at the front end of the ballrace, into whichposition it is crowded by the friction of the revolving sheave B, whichis thus clamped against the stationary springcase and in turn is stoppedthereby. This result is attained when the apparatus is hanging in thevertical position and is brought about by the inclination heretoforedescribed in the base of the ball-race a, whichvcauses the friction-ballG at all times when the apparatus is in its normal position ofsuspension to assume a position in the front or narrow end of theball-race.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is the following:i

1. The combination with the shaft, the spring-casing, and spring mountedtherein, of sheaves arranged in said shaft on opposite sides of saidcasing, and a braking means for sliding one of said sheaves intoengagement with said casing.

2, In combination with the shaft and casing having a spring mountedtherein, sheaves arranged on opposite sides of said casing, one beingslidably mounted, a ball arranged adjacent said movable sheave, andmeans whereby said ball will force said sheave into engagement with saidcasing.

3. In combination with the casing, the

spring-actuated shaft, and the sheaves, one ofwhich is slidably mounted,a case arranged on one side of said slidable sheave, a ball arranged insaid case, and means whereby said ball normally forces said sheave intoengagement with said casing.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 29th day of March, 1900.

BLAIR A. ESTEP. Witnesses:

M. H. CA IER, ANNIE PHILLIPS.

